Changes
by HPFANFREAK08
Summary: Not everything goes to plan in life, especially for Carter's life, everyone has bad experiences her especially, but when she meets Albus Severus Potter her life will change. Rated T for pain, experiences, memories, swearing and etc. My OC family. I have finally decided where to finish the story, and so it will finish with Carter graduating. THERE WILL BE A SEQUEL WHEN THIS IS DONE!
1. Walking

**Authors Note: I don't own anything you recognise, I only own the Nickel Family (Carter, Estelle, Ariel, David, Kayla and Celeste) and the plot line**

Carter Nickel walks alone feeling the pain that has been caused her. Nobody knows who she was, or if she was even alive except for those Death Eaters ( Rodolphus Lestrange, Rabastian Lestrange and Yaxley) who thought that she was either dead or dying in St. Mungo's. she wanders alone, memories flooding through her thoughts. She has no-one to talk to as her entire family was killed except for her. She falls down pain flooding through her on the side walk, and she passes out for minutes, watching her worst experiences in life.

She awakens still in pain, and builds up the courage to continue walking, thinking about her life, her family, and where she would go when she found a letter in her jacket pocket, it read;

_Dear Carter,_

_If you're reading this, something bad has happened to us, and we are no longer able to take care of our beloved daughter.  
If something bad has happened to us you are to go to the **first alive** person on this list, and live with them, just show them this piece of parchment and it will explain everything:_

_Estelle Nickel_

_Narcissa Malfoy_

_Draco Malfoy_

_Andromeda Tonks_

_Always remember that we love you, and what happened to us, Kayla and Ariel is not your fault.  
Remember that just because you cannot see us, doesn't mean that we aren't there in your heart, and be strong._

**_With you always_**

**_David and Celeste Nickel (nee Black)_**

**_Your Parents _**

Carter reads it, over and over again, as she looks over the list, and decides who to go and live with and face the drama of living her past again telling them, her grandmother Estelle Nickel died in 2012 and the other three were alive. Her parents were telling her to go to the Malfoy's but Carter knew about the family history and how they had reformed, she couldn't help but be cautious. Carter's mother always told her stories about her family, and told her to follow her heart, so she decided to go to Andromeda Tonks. However there was one major problem in this plan, she had no idea where she lived in England.

So Carter just walked on and on, from London to Bath door knocking asking for this one person. She experienced severe pain from her injuries and slept out on the streets. She continuously walked. She was hungry, and had only drunk from puddles and creeks if possible. She never received any treatment for her injuries on her journey. Carter knew that it was probably easier to go into Diagon Alley, and find her that way, but she couldn't deal with all the attention she would get from the public.

**Authors Note: Ok so this isn't a happy beginning, but please R&R**


	2. Beaches

**Authors Note: Ok so next chapter, obviously I don't own Harry Potter, I'm just playing, and for my full disclaimer check the last Chapter. I know how to speak French and so I thought it could be used in this chapter and I have tried to write Fleur's accent on some words, anyway for those of you who cannot speak French, the translation is in Bold in brackets.**

Carter walked along, she eventually came to a beach, where the sand was hot and the water was warm, she sat down to think about her journey so far. She was hungry, sore, tired, thirsty and sad about her parents' passing. Just as she was about to decide which direction to head, a surge of pain swept over her, she heard her parents final words and their screams, the pain became unbearable and she passed out unconscious on the beach, the pain had become worse this time, and around half an hour later she woke, in more pain.

Once the pain had died down, Carter started walking along the beach again, until she saw a beautiful garden and a tomb stone engraved: _Here Lies Dobby, a free elf. _She couldn't help but be curious, despite having gone through more than most adults; she was still a ten year old girl, who was never able to explore. As she got closer she noticed a cottage that was covered in shells, and looked very peaceful. Carter thought that because it wasn't around anyone else, the people who occupied it may be a wizards or witches, and so she went to go and knock on the door.

A young beautiful girl answered the door and looked at Carter, she was speechless, then another voice was heard saying "Victorie, Qui est à la porte?" (**Victorie, who is at the door?**)

"Je ne sais pas Maman!"(**I do not know Mum!**) said the girl 'Victorie'

Carter realised they were speaking French and decided to answer, because she learnt it from her mother, not knowing if she may need it. "Bonsoir, Je m'appelle Carter Elisabeth Nickel. Je suis désole pour intrusion. Je cherche pour Andromeda Tonks. Vous la connaissez?" (**Good Evening, my name is Carter Elisabeth Nickel. I am sorry for intruding. I am looking for Andromeda Tonks. Do you know her?)**

" Bonsoir Carter, c'est no problème pour votre intrusion, Oui je connais Andromeda, entrer s'il vous plait !" (**Good Evening Carter, there is no problem of your intruding. Yes I know Andromeda please enter**) said Victorie sweetly

"Excuse moi, mais parlez-vous anglais? Asked Carter (**excuse me, but do you speak English ?**)

"Yes, I do." Said Victorie, then another woman entered, who had silvery hair, and a flawless complection, looked at the two of them, and turned on Victorie, and spoke in English.

"Victorie, Who, izz this leetle girl? She asked

"She is a girl named Carter, who is looking for Andromeda, and I invited her in, as she looks so tired and hungry." Stated Victorie

The woman then looked at Carter and said "Who are you? Why are you looking for Andromeda? Why do you look as eef you are about to faint?"she asked kindly.

"I am Carter Nickel, I look as if I am about to faint because I was unconscious on the beach a few minutes ago, and am in extreme pain, and I am looking for Andromeda because she is now my legal guardian." Answered Carter

"What about your parents? Et Why are you een extreeme pain?" she asked

"um, well, my parents are dead and I was tortured" she answered, but before she had time to ask another question a turquoise haired boy bounded down the staircase, followed by a man with fiery red hair and a scarred face. The boy looked at Carter, and at Victorie, then asked who she was.

The older woman decided that she should introduce everyone and then explain why she was there. "My name ees Fleur, thees ees mon cheri Beell." Stated Fleur

Bill then continued "These are our children Victorie, Dominique and Louis," he pointed at each and "this man, is Teddy Lupin" he pointed at the turquoise haired one. Fleur then decided to introduce Carter.

"Thees ees Carter Neeckel, she ees lookeeng for Teddy's grandmozher and 'as been tortured. Her parents 'ave been keeled."

Teddy then looked at Carter and said "ok, I will take her to my Grandmother's, and she can explain from there. Thank you Fleur for keeping her here."

He helped her stand up and took her she said goodbyes and thank you's. After that he took her for side along apparition and appeared at the house.

**Authors Note: R&R PLEASE!**


	3. Learning to deal with Pain

**Authors Note: I disclaim HP, and please enjoy, despite that it will get sad during this chapter.**

With a crack Teddy and Carter arrived in a suburban house, surrounded with pictures of many different people looking really happy, almost like a family. The house looked peaceful and welcoming, and then a woman entered, with similar attributes to Teddy, and Carter presumed that she was Andromeda Tonks.

"Teddy, are you ok? I thought you were at Victorie's for another few hours, and who is this?" said Andromeda curiously

"Gran, I'm fine, this girl showed up at Vic's and she said she needed to see you, and so I brought her here" said Teddy.

"Ok then, so who are you, and why are you looking for me?" asked Andromeda

"I'm Carter Elisabeth Nickel, I'm the daughter of David and Celeste Black, and apparently I'm supposed to give you this." said Carter almost bursting into tears, and handing the curious woman the piece of parchment with her parents' letter on it.

"Thank you, dear, go and make yourself comfortable on the couch for now." Said Andromeda kindly and Carter obliged "Teddy, go and sit with her, she is obviously in pain, and please go and check her injuries while I read this"

Teddy left to go and join Carter while Andromeda read the piece of parchment that said:

_Dear Andromeda,_

_If you're reading this then I am dead along with my husband, and either A. Carter followed our instructions or B. you found her in Diagon Alley.  
I need to ask you for a favour and if you choose to accept it, then I will be forever in your debt, as I mentioned earlier we must be dead, and thus there is no one else to look after Carter. Please take care of her, as I can no longer do that, give her a home and feed her.  
If you won't do this for me, please do it for your favourite cousin and my father (Sirius Black)_

_If you do this, I am eternally grateful!_

_Celeste Nickel (nee Black)_

Andromeda read this, and decided to provide a home for Carter, and then remembered the Prophet from this morning stating that Celeste and David had been found dead in their home. Until she heard Teddy call her…

Meanwhile in the living room, Teddy was talking to Carter about his family, and how they had died fighting for a better world. Then unexpectedly Carter fainted from the relapse of pain, and her limbs started to bleed again. Teddy had no idea what to do, and just got the wounds out in the open, for him to see, he was horrified by what he saw, and immediately called Andromeda, to help him.

Andromeda came running into the room, and saw Carter limp on the floor bleeding from all four limbs and her head. Carter's light brown hair was covered in blood, and there were bite marks all over her body. In her limbs the words _**Filthy Half Blood **_were carved in, and her neck was bleeding, from a gash. Quickly Andromeda did a blood replenishing spell and wrapped up her injuries in bandages.

A few hours later Carter awoke in a bed, still in pain, but awake. She noticed Andromeda and said "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to faint, it just happens sometimes."

"It's fine, not your fault, but I would like to get to know you better" replied Andromeda

"What do you want to know exactly?" asked Carter

"How old you are, how you acquired these injuries, does anyone know about you except Teddy and I?"

"Um… Okay then… I am ten years old, my birthday is the 31st August, and I have received my Hogwarts letter. I received some of these injuries when I was three, and my two sisters Ariel and Kayla were killed by Death Eaters, and the others I received about a week ago, from the same Death Eaters when my parents were killed. The only people who know about me are; you, Teddy, and the Weasley's." Replied Carter

"Which Weasley's do you mean?"

"Bill, Fleur, Victorie, Dominique and Louis" she responded quickly

Then they talked about her possessions, and Andromeda left her alone, to heal.

The next day Carter went down the stairs, and saw the daily prophet and the report on her parents' deaths, and how the Aurors had no clue as to how there was three types of blood on the floor, but only two dead people. Over the two months Carter barely left the house for her own safety, and continued to relive the pain, over and over again, but they were slowly becoming easier to deal with.

On her birthday, Andromeda held a small party with only Fleur, Bill, Victorie, Teddy, Dominique and Louis. Carter was quite upset about not being able to share this day with her family, but tried her best to enjoy it. She received her mother's old photo album for her birthday, with pictures, of her childhood and her family being happy, and it was the greatest gift she could ever have asked for. In the evening she packed all her things at the last minute because she was still a Black and a Nickel, and organisation had always come to be a hard thing, unless it came to appearance.

**Authors Note: Ok so Hogwarts Express next, co-insides with the epilogue, just changed a bit to include Carter. R&R**


	4. Aboard the Hogwarts Express

**Authors Note: OK I got bored and started to write the next chapter, so I did, DON'T OWN HP!**

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Carter woke up in pain at seven am on September 1st 2017, she muffled her screams, and decided to check that she had everything for Hogwarts, including her photo album she had been given for her birthday, and the letter she found in her jacket from her parents, despite it being worthless to any other person, it meant the world to Carter, because it was the last piece of correspondence that she would ever have with her parents in her life. After checking her things, she made her way down the stairs and ate breakfast where Andromeda said that Teddy would take her to Platform 9¾ via apparition.

At 10am, Carter and Teddy were about to leave, Carter decided to thank Andromeda for everything she had done for her, and then they left. An apparition later they arrived just outside Kings Cross Station, they started walking, until Teddy saw Victorie and left Carter with no devices, and no way navigating to the Platform.

Suddenly she saw a family with a boy around twelve with black hair pointing in all directions annoying another boy around eleven who had green eyes and similar hair to his brother, and a small girl around nine years old with bright red hair, who was holding onto her mother's hand. The mother was in a deep discussion with the family's father.

"You may be in Slytherin." Said the elder brother

"No James, I won't be in Slytherin" said the other son. After hearing some of the argument, Carter then decided to ask about Hogwarts or Platform 9¾.

"Um… Excuse Me" she asked timidly

"Yes" answered the father, who as Carter noticed looked very similar to his younger son.

"Could you please tell me where Platform 9¾ is?" Carter asked

"Sure, it's through the brick wall between Platforms 9 and 10." He replied

"Thank you!" she exclaimed

"Where are your parents?" asked James

"They're not here and my guardian left to go and snog his girlfriend senseless." She replied before running off towards the platform.

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Carter ran and ran, and expected the smash, that never came, instead she went through the brick wall, and was amazed by the sight of the Hogwarts Express, and the sign saying Platform 9¾. Carter realised that she was blocking the doorway and went to put her trunk on the train. She lifted up the trunk into the compartment when a flicker of the pain started again, she mumbled a thank you to the man who helped her place it in, and went to go and sit in a compartment. Luckily the pain didn't last for a long time, then the conductor said that they were about to leave.

Slowly the train departed, and Carter saw Teddy waving, and the family she asked directions from there. After the train had departed, Carter grabbed her photo album and started looking through the photos, when a boy with white-blonde hair entered the compartment, he looked at her and said "Do you mind if I sit with you?"

Carter honestly did not mind and simply nodded, before either could introduce themselves another two people entered, and Carter recognized that one of them was the boy saying that he would not be in Slytherin, and a pretty girl with red bushy hair and many freckles.

"Can we please join you, we were sitting somewhere else, but then my idiot of a brother kicked us out?" said the boy

Carter just simply nodded permitting them both to sit in the compartment, with that she put the photo album away.

"I'm Carter Elisabeth Nickel by the way." She stated

"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy." Said the blonde boy

"Rose Hermione Weasley" said the redheaded girl

"Al "said the other boy

"Come on Al, we all said our full names you can too." Said Rose

"Albus Severus Potter" he replied in an annoyed tone

"So, what house do you think you will be in, I honestly hope I'm in Gryffindor, I mean Mum and Dad, and the rest of Dad's family have been in it, I guess I could be in Ravenclaw also, and Dad wants me to be in Gryffindor, all I want to do is to be put where I belong and to do well in my exams." Said Rose in one breath.

"Geez, Rose, like your parents much?" asked Al rhetorically "I don't know"

"Any, I don't mind, I'm not my dad" said Scorpius

"I don't know, my parents were in Gryffindor, but everyone on my mother's side except my grandfather was in Slytherin." Said Carter

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Then the two groups went into different conversations Scorpius and Rose started talking about parents and other stuff. Meanwhile Al and Carter were discussing their encounter in the station  
"You look like your father" said Carter

"Your guardian is an idiot" said Al  
"YEAH, but he is quite sweet as well, when he wants to be." Replied Carter

They kept to their private conversations until the food trolley came through. Carter wanted to have heaps of food, but didn't have any money from her parents vault. The others were hungry and bought things, and decided to share despite Carter not wanting to steal their food. She ate a chocolate frog and to her surprise it was Al's father Harry Potter. She stayed quiet and they all saw the card and wondered why she didn't mention it.

"He's still human, even if he is Harry Potter, I know what he has done, but it is not our abilities that make us who we are, it is our choices." She replied, and then they dropped the subject.

The subject of conversation had changed to family; "I have a younger brother named Hugo, and my parents are Ron and Hermione Weasley, then my extensive amount of cousins." Said Rose

"Just me, Mum and Dad in my family, we don't really talk to the others, but I don't really talk to Dad." Said Scorpius

"My dad is Harry Potter and my Mum is Ginny Potter, I have the idiot of a brother James and my sister Lily and all the cousins" said Al. Carter stayed quiet the entire conversation and this didn't go unnoticed by the others. "What about you Carter?"

Carter didn't know or want to say that her parents and siblings were dead, because she didn't want the sympathy, and came up with the quickest lie possible. "It's just me Mum and Dad, at home, but they needed a holiday, but couldn't take me, so I stayed here with my closest relatives."

The others kept talking among themselves while Carter, was thinking about her family, and what they would have thought of her now. Memories flooded through her mind, birthdays, Christmases, the murders of her parents and her sisters. After a while Victorie entered and just simply mentioned that they should change now, and acknowledged her cousins before leaving. After that they finally arrived, and heard a voice saying "Firs' Years this way!"

Carter was introduced to Hagrid and they went over the lake and headed to the castle, when they entered the entrance hall, they met a wizard…

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**Author's Note: K like it, love it, Review it!**


	5. The Sorting Ceremony

**Authors Note: Ok new chapter up, I love my reviews so please do review. I disown HP, I own the Nickel family, and the plotline. I also consider Teddy as part of the Potter/Weasley clan.**

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The wizard had a kind rounded face, and was wearing some fancy robes. Hagrid then left the hall and the wizard waited for all the first years to pile into the hall.

"Hello there, I am Professor Longbottom; I teach herbology and am the Head of Gryffindor House. Shortly we will enter the Great hall and you will be sorted into your houses; Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin, after the Sorting Ceremony the feast will be served and the Prefects from your house will take you from there. Alright the boring long speech done, let's go" said Professor Longbottom before leading them into the Great Hall.

Carter thought it was the most amazing thing she had ever seen, the candles and the ceiling that was bright and sunny, the amount of students there in the hall. Suddenly they came to a halt facing the staff table, with Hagrid smiling and waving, and a stool with a manky old hat on top of it. Unexpectedly for the first years the hat started to sing:

_Welcome to Hogwarts,  
I am the Sorting Hat, who will sort you into your house either;  
Gryffindor, where the courageous and  
loyal dwell  
Or maybe you belong in Hufflepuff,  
where you may __find__ more than you expect  
Maybe you belong in Ravenclaw,  
where the intelligent and logical belong  
Or you may possibly belong in Slytherin;  
where the cunning and ambitious lie.  
Some of you have faced more than others but you need to pull together to succeed.  
So come on and see where you belong_

Then the song was finished, and Professor Longbottom rolled a long piece of parchment consisting of all the people's names. Slowly the list went on making Saraphina Ewbank the first Slytherin, the list went on until Professor Longbottom called "Scorpius Malfoy" he went up to the hat and a few seconds later was placed in Gryffindor to the surprise of many.

The next name that was called out was Carter Nickel, she approached the hat and jammed it on her head, and then it started to speak only to her.

"Hmm…Interesting, a challenge, where to put you, you posses attributes from all houses, but you have too much courage to ignore considering recent events in your life, I will place you in Gryffindor. GRYFFINDOR" it shouted and Carter ran to join Scorpius.

Many names passed until "Albus Potter" and he was sorted into Gryffindor and sat next to Carter. Finally Rose joined Gryffindor.

After all the first years had been sorted the food magically appeared, and everything you could imagine was laid out; steak, pork chops, roasts of different varieties, mashed potatoes, lasagne, salads, etc. Not wanting to miss out Carter grabbed what she liked while Rose stuffed her mouth full of chicken leg. Soon the ghosts put on their show, and dessert appeared, Carter took some chocolate mud cake, lemon cheesecake, a lemon sherbet and chocolate mousse.

After all the plates had been cleared away the Headmaster gave a speech, and then the First Years were lead up to the dormitories. Carter and Rose shared a dorm with some other girls in their year, there were four beds in the room, surrounded by a heater, Carter had the bed next to the window and Rose's bed. There were two doors in the room, one leading to the common room and one to the ensuite bathroom.

Carter was going to ask about Rose's opinions on Hogwarts but she had fallen asleep. Carter then decided to sit by the window and look through her photo album. She saw photos of: her grandparents (muggle and wizarding), her parents at Hogwarts, her parents through their childhoods, her parents wedding, and her sisters. When Carter got to a photo of her whole family unharmed she couldn't stop looking, it was a photo of her parents, muggle grandparents, her grandmother, Kayla, Ariel and herself the day prior to the attack. She spent hours looking at it and she fell asleep by the window, photo album in hand.

When she woke up, she continued looking through the photos of her parents, and her, up until a week prior to the attack, it was just her, her mother and her father who were left at that point, and none of them had known what was coming. Carter also couldn't help but stare, but she continued looking through, it had only one other photo, which was her birthday party. Carter then heard Rose starting to stir, she thought about returning to bed, but she wasn't tired, and decided to go into the common room, and she left her photo album in her trunk, not to be disturbed.

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Everything was going well until Carter reached the bottom of the stairs to meet Scorpius and Al, but then the pain washed over her worse than any of the relapses before, and the memories flashed before her eyes, her family's screams, and the blood. She fainted, and cracked her head on the stairs. Al and Scorpius had no idea of what to do, then Rose appeared, and was about to scold them for the noise until she saw Carter on the floor unconscious bleeding. Quickly she dashed up the stairs to go and get any cousin that was awake currently, unfortunately it was James.

"James can you please come downstairs to the Common Room now, and you can bring Fred if you really need to." Said Rose before running out the room to get another cousin

"What, no hi now Rosie-Posy" He yelled to her.

"Don't call me that" she replied

James arrived with a sleepy Fred, downstairs and saw Carter "I didn't prank this one, I know we didn't. Al isn't that the girl who asked us for directions to the platform, and said that her guardian was snogging his girlfriend senseless." He said quickly

"Yes James she is the girl who asked for directions and said that her guardian was snogging his girlfriend senseless, and it is kind of obvious that you didn't prank her because she was fine then she just fainted." Albus replied "WHAT DO WE DO?" he shouted at his older brother.

"Take her to Madame Pomfrey, duh." Replied James in a mock serious tone

"How?" asked Scorpius

"Oh I have no idea" He replied

Suddenly the rest of the Weasley clan (minus Teddy, Lily and Hugo for obvious reasons) arrived and circled the unconscious girl on the floor. The ones who knew who she was stayed quiet, and the others, then Victorie decided to talk.

"Who is she, and why is she on the floor, Fred, James what did you do?" she said getting angry.

"Vic, she was like that when I got here, we didn't do anything." Said James and Fred in unison

"She is my friend, her name is Carter Nickel, and I came down to the noise and found her in this state." Said Rose

"Albus and I were down here, Carter came down the stairs, and she fainted, and we can't get her to the hospital wing." Said Scorpius receiving questioning looks "I'm Scorpius Malfoy"

"Alright then, give me a minute." Said Lucy conjuring up a stretcher and levitating Carter onto it, while Molly ran to get Madame Pomfrey, she appeared and took Carter to the hospital wing.

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**Authors Note: So do we like it? R&R please. I am sorry but the reference to AVPM had to be there.**


	6. Hospital Wing and Letters Home

**Authors Note: I know it's been forever since I last updated but a new chapter is here so voila, I have been working on this for a while so please R&R. For disclaimer check previous chapters.**

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It had been two days since Carter had fallen down the stairs in the Gryffindor Common Room, and she was still unconscious, every now and then she would scream or clutch a bleeding part of her body, and no person, not even Madame Pomfrey knew what was wrong with her as she had continuously bled also. Every day Rose, Scorpius and Albus visited her wondering when she would wake up, they took notes for her in all their classes.

On Monday in the free period each wrote a letter home telling them about their adventures so far. Albus wrote;

_Dear Mum, Dad and Lily,  
Hogwarts is amazing the ceiling shows the sky  
I was sorted into Gryffindor, Dad you were right it did take my choice into account.  
Not even one day at Hogwarts and I had been to the hospital wing (I didn't get hurt though)  
My friend fell down the stairs and is unconscious currently._

_I made some friends on the train, after James kicked me and Rose out __**Rose and me out**__, sorry Rose proofread it; Scorpius Malfoy and a girl named Carter Nickel (the girl who fell down the stairs and who asked for help to get on the platform, and told James that her guardian was snogging his girlfriend senseless). We were all put in Gryffindor, Neville sends his love back. Classes are good and Hagrid says hi. We're still waiting for Carter to wake up.  
Have to go, I'll write soon  
Al_

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Albus then waited for the other two's letters to be completed so they could go to the Owlery together and send them. Rose wrote:

_**Mum, Dad and Hugo,  
I miss you so much, it's not the same without you.  
Dad I'm in Gryffindor and so you don't have to disown me!  
Classes are great, and I knew all the answers and I earned Gryffindor fifty points from all the answers I got correct.**_

_**I made some friends on the train after James kicked Al and I out of the compartment; Scorpius Malfoy (yes Dad, I listened to you, I am just completely ignoring what you told me) and Carter Nickel, and we're all in Gryffindor. I share a dorm with Carter, she is really sweet, friendly, and is currently unconscious after falling down the stairs. However she becomes really quiet when we talk about our families (when she is awake) and it makes me curious about her family.  
Miss you all, I've got to go and see if Carter has woken up yet  
Rose**_

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"Finally" Rose exclaimed after finishing writing the letter, and passed the quill to Scorpius to write his letter that said:

_Dear Mum and Dad,  
Hogwarts is amazing, I got sorted into Gryffindor, with my new friends Albus Potter, Rose Weasley and Carter Nickel. Rose has answered every question in all of our classes that we have had. Al is brilliant, he's lots of fun, and is Rose's cousin (who knew how many cousins that Al actually has, I've met all of them who are at Hogwarts, and I must say that there are plenty.)Carter is really friendly and was the one who allowed me to sit with her on the train, but she seems secretive from what I've noticed and is currently unconscious from falling down the stairs.  
I have to go now, Love you, Miss you  
Scorp_

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"A-And done" said Scorpius after finishing writing the letter "To the Owlery!" he said while pointing forwards.

"Scorp, the Owlery is this way" said Al pointing to the left

"To the Owlery!"Scorpius exclaimed fixing his mistake and running off while Rose and Al, simply looked at each other in shock and laughter following him walking.

After sending their letters to their families Rose, Al and Scorpius went up to the Hospital Wing to visit Carter, and found that she was awake…

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"What in the name of Merlin's left saggy butt-cheek am I doing, in this bed?" She asked when she opened her eyes. "Chiz am I bleeding again?"

"Hi to you to Carter" said Scorpius nervously

"HI! Now can you please answer my questions?" she responded

"Yes you are bleeding and you are in the bed because you fell down the stairs."

"Merlin had a saggy left butt-cheek? What is chiz?" asked Rose and Albus.

"I don't know if Merlin had a saggy left butt-cheek, it may have actually been his right, and I think chiz is a German Sausage." She responded.

Albus who had been very quiet for the past few moments in the chair next to Carter's bed "Why did you faint and fall down the stairs?" he asked still staying quiet

"I'm a clutz I simply fell, and the pain just got to me and I fainted it was nothing and I'm fine now." She lied. Carter knew that it had just been another relapse of torture, but she didn't need to tell her friends that. Carter didn't want the sympathy. Albus then dropped the subject, and they started talking about classes and Hogwarts in general. Then Madam Pomfrey arrived, kicked Rose, Albus and Scorpius out of the room, and checked Carter.

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Madam Pomfrey was checking Carter's wounds and came across the scars saying _Filthy Half Blood _and asked how she came to have them, and Carter simply replied with it must just be a coincidence. The next morning Carter was given permission to leave the hospital wing, and made her way to breakfast, still amazed at the sights of the castle. Soon Rose, Scorpius and Albus joint her, and suggested that she write to her parents about the incident, but she continuously shut the ideas down, saying that they wouldn't care, or want to be bothered. Later in the day Albus cornered her,

"Carter, please tell me one good reason why your parents wouldn't want to hear from you." He demanded

"I don't know their location" she said bluntly

"and, your point would be?"

"They're probably really busy travelling."

"Carter, just write to them." He said bluntly more pleading then demanding

"Fine, but I don't expect an answer soon." She said, and then they walked to double potions.

In the lesson Carter still had no idea how to get away with it now; she contemplated writing to Andromeda, and then blanking out the name when Al looked. Or just writing to her family and keeping it in her trunk for the long term, but before Carter could decide what to do the lesson ended and Albus and Rose decided to introduce Carter to all the cousins at Hogwarts.

* * *

When they arrived in the Common Room, they found the entire Weasley/Potter family (minus Lily, Hugo, their parents, grandparents and Teddy). They all introduced themselves one by one

"Victorie Weasley" said Victorie before giving Carter a wink.

"Dominique Weasley" said Dominique before waving

"Louis Weasley" Said Louis while smiling

"Lucy Weasley" stated Lucy before looking curiously at the girl.

"Molly Weasley II" said Molly before joining Lucy.

"and finally the best Weasley ever, I'm Fred Weasley II prank extrodanaire" said Fred

"Roxanne Weasley and unfortunately his twin sister" pointing at Fred

"James Potter II" said James

"Carter Nickel" said Carter pointing at herself making everyone else laugh

"Nice to see you conscious!" exclaimed James before Rose thwacked him over the head "Last time we met didn't you say something about your guardian snogging his girlfriend senseless?"

"Yep, that's me." Avoiding the death glare from Victorie, said Carter.

* * *

That night Carter looked through her photo album looking for inspiration about what to do about her letter situation, but nothing came to her. When she fell asleep she relived her worst experiences; her sisters' murders and her torture then, her parents' murders, and her torture, the pain that she had experienced walking and with the torturing process. Rose heard screaming from Carter, and tried to wake her up but it didn't work, instead she soundproofed the area around Carter's bed (Muffialato) and went back to sleep.

* * *

**Authors Note: Rose learnt Muffialato from Hermione, just in case she ever needed it. Chiz is also owned by Victorious**


	7. Pranks and The Daily Prophet Article

**Authors Note: I own the plotline, the Nickel family and nada else.**

The next day Carter awoke, and decided to write to her parents despite the fact that they would never get the letter, and she would send the owl up to her bedroom pretending that it was sent to them. Slowly she got up, and saw that everyone else in the dorm had left except Rose who was still sound asleep, Carter went to the bathroom filled a bucket up with ice cold water and poured it over Rose. Rose jerked up and Carter ran for it, so that she wouldn't get killed by Rose.

* * *

Down in the Common Room Scorpius and Albus were sitting waiting for the girls, then Carter ran in and hid behind Al. "Hey Guys" she said

"Hey, why are you hiding behind him?" asked Scorpius

"Rose" she replied

"Ahhhhhh" said Scorpius and Al

"CARTER ELISABETH NICKEL I WILL GET YOU! HOW DARE YOU POUR ICE COLD WATER OVER ME TO WAKE ME UP, JUST YOU WAIT UNTIL I GET DOWN THERE!" Rose yelled

"You genius Carter, you pranked Rose, we tried that but it didn't work" said James entering the Common Room

"Eep she's coming" Carter said hiding again "In my defence Rose, you sleep as if your dead, the only way I knew you were alive was with the movement of your chest."

"Still, I'm all wet now!" she screeched

"Um. Breakfast?" said Albus, and then they all moved down to the Great Hall, and there was everything you could imagine. Rose was stuffing her face full of bacon when the post came: Rose, Scorpius and Al all had letters from home and a Daily Prophet owl came along and Scorpius paid it. Rose's letter turned out to be two in one envelope which said:

_Rose,  
We miss you so much, it's not the same here without you either.  
Hugo won't admit it but he does miss his big sister and we are so proud of you.  
I'm happy that you made friends who aren't part of the family, and I hope your friend has woken up and is fine. I need to warn you that your dad wasn't too happy with you becoming friends with a Malfoy and his letter will not be happy.  
Mum_

* * *

The other letter said:

_Rose,  
I miss you and I am happy that you became a Gryffindor, however I am upset that you completely ignored me about the Malfoy boy, but you're like your mother and will not listen to me on everything so I am ok with it.  
Love you  
Dad_

* * *

"Well he took it better than I thought he would" she said putting down the letter, then Scorpius read his letter:

_Scorp,  
It's great you're making friends, and yes there are many Weasleys. We miss you so much, it is very lonely here without you. Why was your friend unconscious? How is she now?  
Mum and Dad_

* * *

"Well that was short and blunt." Said Scorp reading it then he picked up the Daily Prophet and read it. Al read his letter next:

_Dear Al,  
You have beaten your Dad's record of visiting the hospital wing __**Hey, no fair Gin!  
**__anyway Al, we are really proud of you and it figures you would become friends with the girl that said her guardian was snogging his girlfriend senseless. I hope she's ok and that she is awake now .__Dad's been working really hard since you left check the Daily Prophet today, there should be something there.__  
Love  
__Lily__, Mum & __**Dad**_

"Are we going to look at the Prophet then?" asked Al putting down the letter, and so they looked at the Prophet and it didn't take long to find what Lily had referred to in the letter. They all stared at the article staying quiet.

"Well I'll read then won't I?" said Carter "**The Daily Prophet regrets to inform you that the deaths of David and Celeste Nickel still remain a mystery, it can now be revealed that the pair were murdered in their London home, however who by still remains a mystery**." She looked down at her arm unnoticed by her friends. "**Auror Mr. Ronald Weasley reveals that there were three different types of blood on the floor however only two dead people, however they found that the mysterious blood was exactly the same as another found seven years prior with the murders of Ariel and Kayla Nickel the couple's daughters.**" She said and couldn't continue and so Al started to read

"**Anyone with any information about these people or the attack is urged to come forward and present information, Mr. Harry Potter (Head Auror, blah blah blah) has revealed that they have searched the area and checked everything, and nothing has been found about the other type of blood belongs to. Aurors are doing all they can with the help of other departments.**" He finished. "Carter are you related to these people? They have the same last name as you." He asked.

Quick come up with a lie Carter, you cannot tell them that your parents were found dead and that Kayla and Ariel Nickel were her sisters, she thought. "Yeah they are my Aunt and Uncle. Can I please borrow a quill I have to write to my parents?" She said, and Albus handed over some parchment and a quill and Carter wrote:

_Dear Mum and Dad,  
I miss you guys so much, I read about you in the Prophet and I am sorry for not going to the Malfoys but I had some reservations. It pains me that you will not get to read this ever because you left me to join Ariel and Kayla, but it wasn't as if it was your choice.  
I continue to view yours and my sisters' murders over and over again, and the pain comes with it, and I don't have a choice.  
I know you're watching over me and you are always with me, not necessarily physically but in my heart. I am still a clutz._

_I think that you would be proud of me, even though I will never know for sure, I am a Gryffindor and I have friends for the first time in my life, and I know that isn't your fault about trying to protect me.  
Scorpius is really nice and friendly, Rose is brilliant and Al is just amazing, and has more in common with me than the other two._

_I love you and you will forever be in my heart  
Carter_

"I'm done" said Carter and then they walked onto the day. The rest of the day until the free period they worked all the time until the free period after lunch and so lessons were done for the day, Carter went alone up to the Owlery and sent the owl down to her dorm to return her the letter tomorrow.

* * *

The next day the owl screeched on the window and returned Carter her letter, which she put in the back pocket of the photo album that was previously owned by her mother. She decided that today she would try a different approach to wake Rose up; with James and Fred's help levitate her into the Great Hall unconscious and wake her up with the smell of bacon. This plan was perfectly executed and Rose was woken by the smell of bacon, Scorpius, Al and Carter all cracked up laughing at Rose's reaction and she blushed the Weasley red which clashed with her hair. Let's just say that she wasn't impressed.

* * *

**Authors Note: Finito, Please R&R !**


	8. Blowing A Top and Essays

**Authors Note: I've been working on this forever (actually bit by bit by bit over the past week) but the chapter is done. I own: the Nickel family and the plot nothing else ok then.**

* * *

Over the next month, not many events happened, the quartet went to classes and did homework, became closer to each other, corresponded with their families, and Carter's relapses became less frequent. One day when it was bucketing down with rain so hard that herbology had been relocated to an unused classroom, Professor Longbottom decided to get them to write all the people that were related to them that they had met who had died, and their cause of death next to it, to show that although some had lost more than others, they are not alone. Carter looked over at her friends who wrote no one, but as her entire family was dead she wrote quickly:

_Mum-Death Eater Attack 2017  
Dad-Death Eater Attack 2017  
Ariel-Death Eater Attack 2010  
Kayla-Death Eater Attack 2010  
Grandma Estelle-Old Age 2012  
Grandpa Noah-Pneumonia 2009  
Aunt Mikayla-Death Eater Attack 2011_

At the end of the lesson Professor Longbottom asked for them all to be put on his desk anonymously, and then they made their way to Transfiguration before lunch. Carter thought that she was more alone than ever after that lesson as her friends had not written anything but she had written practically her whole family that she had met, and subconsciously touched her wounds, then another relapse occurred, they got down to the bottom of the stairs, and she fainted and started frantically screaming out in pain and for her parents. Fortunately this relapse was only short, and she awoke soon, with her friends sitting next to her in the Common Room.

"You okay?" asked Al.

"I'll be fine, you know me I fall all the time, and I just hit my head again." Carter replied.

"Carter, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but you're bleeding from your arms and legs" said Scorpius.

"Chiz, I'll meet you at DADA, I may a little late" yelled Carter running to Gryffindor Tower, while Al stared at her in amazement, Rose in shock and Scorpius in confusion.

* * *

Carter ran up the stairs as quickly as possible, cleaned the blood up, changed her robes, and looked through the photo album crying silently for all she had lost, when she got to the end of the album she was surprised to find a picture of her, Rose, Al and Scorpius, when she wasn't aware she had a copy of the photo, she spent five minutes looking at the photo until the bell rang and she ran to DADA.

When she entered before looking she said "Sorry Professor Bedson, I had to…" she looked around and found Al's father in front of her looking at her questioningly.

"That's fine Miss Nickel, take a seat" said Professor Bedson and she sat as told "As I was saying this is Harry Potter, he is here to tell us about the Second Wizarding War, not in full detail just about how little jinxes and hexes can get you out of danger." He finished.

Then there was a very long awkward silence until Carter fell off her chair, and started laughing and so did everyone else, she sat back down. During the lesson Harry spoke about simple spells like shields, and the bat bogey hex, which Al and Rose laughed at, Carter and Scorp looked at each other in a knowing look saying family thing. Before long the bell went and they were free for the rest of the day.

Al and Rose beckoned them forward, and so they went forward with them and talked to Mr. Harry Potter himself:

"So you're Draco Malfoy's son" Harry said to Scorp

"Yep" he replied popping the 'P'

"You're the girl who was unconscious in the hospital wing in Al's first letter home, and you said your guardian went to go snog his girlfriend senseless?" asked Harry.

"Yeah" Carter replied

"Has James blown up a toilet yet?" Harry asked

"No not yet but it can't be that long can it Dad?" answered Al

"No" he answered "So who's going home for Christmas?" Harry asked, and was replied from three yeses from Al, Rose and Scorp.

"No, my parents are away on holiday and I want to see the castle at Christmas, I've heard it's amazing." Carter replied

They then said their goodbyes and moved down to dinner; however Al had stayed behind for a few minutes to talk to his father about something. They dug in to the feast, barely bothering to breathe in between mouthfuls. The dinner consisted of many Italian dishes as it was Italian food night, there was; assorted pasta dishes, assorted pizzas, calzones, risotto and for dessert an assortment of different pastries and various flavours of gelato.

* * *

After dinner they returned to the Gryffindor Common Room, and started their homework that they had been given including the essay given to them by Professor Longbottom about the impacts of death on the living remainders of the family, they were all having trouble with this except Carter who continuously wrote until she ran out of parchment.

"How'd you get through that so fast?" asked Rose, as it was the first time she had ever struggled with an assignment and the library was not helpful at all.

"Like this" she replied mimicking writing on parchment, while Al and Scorp burst out laughing Rose just glared at all three of them.

"That's not what I meant Carter." Said Rose while Al and Scorp were rolling around on the floor laughing, "I meant how do you know so much about the effects on the impacts of death on the living remainders of the family?" she asked as if it were obvious

"People in my family have died, my grandfather and grandmother, I was there, and we were close, I don't want to talk anymore." Retorted Carter, then she packed away her things and went to bed after saying "Goodnight" in harsh voice showing her emotions of sadness, and anger.

Up in the dormitory Carter took out the photo album; she looked at the photos of her family crying, read the letter that she had sent back to her dorm, from the Great Hall. Suddenly she had a streak of inspiration; she would write another letter despite the fact no-one other than her would read it, and that thought loomed in her head as she fell asleep, not even noticing Rose coming up to apologise for upsetting her, or her friends taking her essay and reading it, just to get a brief idea of what it felt like to lose a loved one.

When she awoke she found her essay gone and felt relieved that she hadn't said how many or who in her family was dead just in case someone found the essay, although she was peeved off with her friends she couldn't help but be happy that so far there had been no relapses or memories of torture or murder. She wrote to her family;

_Mum, Dad, Ariel and Kayla,  
Honestly I still hear your last words and your screams, I can still see your dead bodies' and I don't think I'll ever get to the point where I won't.  
Some of the pain is new and some of the pain has resurfaced, but either way I'm trying to deal with it, but I still experience it.  
Sometimes I wish I had been taken in your place, so that I would not suffer, but what's done is done, you can't change the past. (Well actually you can but I need a time turner for that, but Al and Rose's parents along with Prof. Longbottom and Mrs. Scamander destroyed them all, and the prototypes haven't been released yet, so I can't change the past.)  
If one thing about all your deaths' makes me happy, it is that you are all together, and that when I get there I will have my family waiting for me.  
I like having friends, and I sort of want to tell them about who you really are and that you are no longer with me physically, but I don't want the sympathy, I've had too much of that in my life._

_I miss you, and I always will, but someday we will be together again  
Carter Elisabeth Nickel  
(Daughter, Sister and Last living Nickel family member)_

She then put it with the other letter in the photo album and went to take her essay back from Rose, Scorpius and Albus.

"ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER, SCORPIUS HYPERION MALFOY AND ROSE HERMIONE WEASLEY…" Carter yelled coming down the stairs

"CARTER ELISABETH NICKEL!" yelled Al and the other two laughed while Al glared at Carter, the same way she was glaring at him.

"We shouldn't have told her our full names" Scorpius whispered to Rose who giggled

"I WAS DEFINITELY CLEAR THAT I DIDN'T WANT ANYONE TO KNOW ABOUT HOW I KNEW SO MUCH ABOUT HOW THE IMPACTS OF DEATH ON THE LIVING REMAINDERS OF THE FAMILY" she yelled and added a whispered side note of "I think".

"Carter, you weren't that clear" said Al

"ANYWAY, I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO READ THAT, ESPECIALLY WITHOUT MY PERMISSION, AND I AM NOT GOING TO ELABORATE ON THAT FACT. NOW I AM FINISHED YELLING AND I AM HUNGRY!" Yelled Carter

"We are very sorry for levitating your assignment out of your dorm and reading it so that we could understand what we had to write about" said Al.

They both looked around and noticed that besides them it was completely deserted and so they made their way to breakfast, and Carter accepted their apology on the condition that she got to steal their bacon. Rose wasn't happy that Carter had the right to their bacon and grudgingly gave it to her.

* * *

**Authors Note: YOU LIKE IT? YOU LOVE IT? YOU REVIEW IT!**


	9. Memories

**Authors Note: This chapter has some memories that may scar some young children, anyway enjoy. HPFANFREAK08 doesn't own Harry Potter or anything assosciated, HPFANFREAK only owns the plot and the Nickel family.**

* * *

The Christmas holidays arrived sooner than expected and on the first day, Carter realised that she was truly alone now, and she realised that her friends had somehow crept into her system, they hadn't even been gone for a day and yet she missed them. When Carter was walking around the Common Room, she found that it was extremely empty as all the Weasley-Potter gang had gone, and that made up a majority of Gryffindor House. She returned to her bed and started to become the lonely girl that she was before she came to Hogwarts after her family's deaths, she wrote in her journal just to document that she was feeling lonely and realising how much better life was being able to enjoy it. There were no lessons, and Carter barely left the dorm room except for mealtimes, over the first few days she completed her homework, then she poured over the photo album. Her relapses were becoming more frequent and painful, as she had nothing to distract her. When Carter was flicking through the photo album and she remembered the attack on her two sisters:

_~Flashback to April 2010~_

_It was a normal summer's day, Kayla was playing with her dolls in the playroom with Celeste, and David was supervising Ariel and Carter playing peek-a-boo with each other. The whole family was happy, but they had no idea that it would be the last time that they would be together as a family forever. Suddenly the door broke down and chunks of wood flew everywhere, quickly David grabbed Carter and put her in the playpen with Ariel and Kayla following closely behind. Celeste ran into the room, then spells went everywhere David was duelling Dolohov while Celeste was duelling Rabastian and Rodolphius Lestrange. Then a stunning spell went haywire and hit David in the chest, and he fell to the floor, while Dolohov moved towards Kayla, he took her out of the playpen and started biting her, Rodolphuis followed the lead by taking Ariel and doing the exact same thing. Another stunning spell went haywire and hit Celeste, and so Rodolphius grabbed Carter and started biting her._

_Swiftly Rodolphius took out a knife and slit Carter's throat, and wrote the words __**Filthy Half-Blood**__in her left leg, and took the knife away to do the same to her sisters. Following her instinct Carter stayed as still as possible, trying to get the Death Eaters to believe that she was dead, but still watching everything. A baseball bat was now being used on her sisters' heads at the same time as the Cruciatus Curse, putting them in extreme pain; they then did the final Avada Kedavra, and killed both Kayla and Ariel. _

_Before leaving they cast the Cruciatus Curse on Carter to see if she was still alive or not. It burned her insides, and it hurt her in more ways then she thought possible for a three year old, but she told herself not to scream and kept up her appearance. In a state of manic laughter the Death Eaters left and she passed out._

_When she woke up she had a fit, everything flooded back to her, and she found her house a wreck, then a team of Aurors appeared, unstunned her parents and took them to St. Mungos to heal. Carter remembered waking up in a hospital and then being bombarded with questions about the attack until a tall man with red hair and blue eyes stopped them from asking her anymore, seeing she was on the brink of tears, and then they went to pester her parents instead._

* * *

After remembering this another relapse hit her, and there was nothing that she could do about it, she just lay on her bed until it stopped, and then continued flicking through the photo album also remembering the fact that after the attack on Ariel and Kayla, she never had any freedom, and was always protected, it had always pissed her off, but now thinking about it she realised that all her family was trying to do was protect her from the fate that her two sisters had endured. She then remembered the second Christmas after the attack;

_~Flashback Christmas Day 2012~_

_It was a snowy Christmas, everyone was being joyful and pretending to be happy, it would never be the same, without Kayla and Ariel, and now David's sister Mikayla had been killed in another Death Eater attack and now Carter's paternal grandmother Estelle died last month, but the family tried to make the best of a bad situation, allowing Carter to build a snowman, and trying to keep themselves occupied enough to simply remember those who couldn't be with them._

* * *

Christmas in the castle was magical, there were Christmas decorations everywhere, and everyone was singing Christmas songs to themselves. The teachers were busy trying to make the holidays a special as possible for everyone left at Hogwarts. Choirs were singing various songs around the castle, and the snow seemed to make everything more special.

A few days later in the middle of a relapse, Carter remembered the attack that ended up killing both of her parents, which ended up with her being in more pain than the first attack. On Christmas Day, she was surprised to find presents at the end of her bed, there weren't many, but considering she hadn't expected any she was ecstatic, and then remembered that everyone else was with their families' celebrating. She opened her presents and she received a photo frame with a picture of all four of them from Scorp, some Berty Botts every flavour beans and chocolate frogs from Rose and box of sherbet lemons from Albus.

* * *

The Christmas dinner was amazing, but there was a down side to it, after the massive feast was finished Professor Longbottom summoned Carter to his office. His office contained a few plants and many photos some of him and his wife Hannah, some of his kids, some with Al's dad, and some other people but they looked younger, and written underneath the photo was **_Dumbledore's Army _**, then he entered the room…

"So Carter I was reading your essay that I set and I found the list of people you knew from your family who had died. It got me wondering about how you knew so much about the topic, care to elaborate?" asked Professor Longbottom.

"Some of my family members were killed and I am just simply aware of how death impacts on family members. Why are you asking me this?" answered Carter.

"I'm just trying to get to know a person in my house." He replied, and then he pulled out a photo frame and gave it to her "what do you see in the photo?" he asked

She looked into the photo and saw a black, bony, horse like creature "I see a black, bony, horse like creature, what is it?" Carter asked.

"It's a thestral, they are really gentle, but can only be seen by people who have seen death." Said Professor Longbottom.

"Oh." Was all she said, realising that he was seeing if she had witnessed any of the deaths. Then he waved her away as a sign that she could go, because he was getting a Floo call.

* * *

About a week and a half later the other students returned to Hogwarts. When Al entered the Common Room, Carter hugged him, and then Rose and Scorp.

"Hi!" said Carter after the hugs

"Hi Carter" replied Rose, Al and Scorpius at different times.

"Thanks for the photo frame, and the lollies" said Carter looking at them all

"No problem" said Al eating sherbet lemon, and then they talked about their separate Christmas celebrations. Secretly Carter was thinking about how lucky she was to have her friends back and how lucky they were to have families that loved them and were waiting their arrival at home, where as Carter had no one that was related to her.

* * *

**Authors Note: Ok that chapter done, I felt that it was necessary to write some of the memories, and I will write the attack in a different story, so that will be up in a few days. Please let me know what you think, either in a review, PM, favourite, follow and I can't think of anything else, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	10. End of Year One & Letters

**Authors Note: Ok I know its been like ages since I updated this story, but it took ages to write this chapter, anyway enjoy.**

_**The Person whom has written this story also known as the author would like to point out that she neither makes any profit or owns Harry Potter, however she would like to point out she does own the interpretation of the character's personalities of: Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, Rose Hermione Weasley, Albus Severus Potter, James Sirius Potter, Teddy Remus Lupin, Victorie Fleur Weasley, Lily Luna Potter, Hugo Ronald Weasley, etc. She however does own the character Carter Elisabeth Nickel, the rest of the Nickel family and the plotline.**_

* * *

Life was great for the quartet, and they all somehow managed to pass their exams with no preparation (with the exception of Rose of course). Carter's relapses had almost stopped completely and everyone was happy. It was the day before the Summer holidays started, and everyone seemed really happy, because they would be able to see their families' and relax, it put a damper on Carter's mood, because she had no family to go to.

They were eating lunch in the Great Hall when an owl suddenly flew down, into the chips on the table. Attached to the now unconscious bird was two pieces of parchment attached to each leg (four pieces of parchment in total) there was a letter for each of them from a different sender they read theirs and then showed the others, Scorpius' said:

_Dear Scorp,  
We can't wait to have you at home with us, we've missed you so much, after some thought and deliberation we are happy to say that your friend Carter may stay with us for a week(the second week of the holidays)  
We'll see you tomorrow, Love you  
Mum and Dad  
P.S. Mum wrote this while Dad wasn't looking, and she would like some credit with the first hug when you come off the train tomorrow._

"I'm staying with you for a week, when were you planning on telling me exactly?" asked Carter after reading his letter.

"Um…Now" he said cowering ready to make a run for it "Carter would you like to come and stay with my family for a week?"

"Since you're offering then yes I would love to." She replied "Anyone else have anything to ask me?" she asked.

"Carter as my best friend would you like to come and stay with me for a week, after Scorp?" asked Rose.

"Yeah" she replied and then before she could say anything else Al said:

"Carter would you like to stay at my home with my family for the remainder of the holidays after staying with Scorpius and Rose?"

"Sure, but did any of you think to ask me before the last day of school?" asked Carter. Everyone shook their heads, they then rotated the letters and Rose's said:

_Dear Rose,  
We are looking forward to having you home again, and we are very happy to have your friend Carter over for a week (the third week of the holidays). __**Remember to ask her! **__Ron! Although you write the truth, don't steal my quill.  
We love you sweetie  
Mum, __**Dad**__ & __Hugo_

_P.S. ROSIE COME HOME SOON, THEY'RE KILLING ME!_

"Your brother misses you, nawwww." Said Carter and then got shot the death glare by Rose. They swapped letters again and Carter read Al's which said:

_Dear Al,  
I can't believe you've been at Hogwarts for a whole year (well almost) __AL PLEASE COME HOME I MISS YOU AND JAMES, is Hogwarts as amazing as everyone says? __Anyway we are looking forward to having you home for the summer. __**We're also looking forward to having Carter over for a large proportion of the holidays (Hermione told me to say that)**_**  
**_See you soon  
Mum, __**Dad **__and Lily_

* * *

They rotated the letters and Carter read her letter there was two versions (one that the other three saw and one only for her eyes) the one that everyone saw said:

_Carter,  
I am so happy that you have got friends, and I presume that they have told you that you are staying with them individually from the second week of Summer in this order:  
__**Scorpius Malfoy, Second week of summer  
Rose Weasley, Third week of summer  
Albus Potter, The remainder of the holidays  
**__I'll see you at the platform  
Your Guardian_

Finally the letter that was for Carter's eyes only said;

_Dear Carter,  
I'm sorry that I have to send this instead of your parents for obvious reasons.  
Uncle Harry, Uncle Ron and Draco Malfoy sent me letters (well they probably don't know it's me but I received them anyway) asking if you could stay with them during the summer, and I accepted.  
You probably got the other letter so you know what order they are in.  
I'll see you at Kings Cross, but as I presume you haven't told anyone about your position, I'll see you after everyone has left.  
Teddy Lupin_

* * *

Sadness rained on Carter's parade as she read the letter thinking about her family, but was soon stopped by Rose stealing the bacon off her plate. After breakfast they went to go and pack all their things. When that was done, they went to check out their exam results, and brilliantly done they had all passed except Rose who had received top marks for the year. The end of year feast was amazing, and somehow Gryffindor ended up winning the House Cup.

The next day they all said their farewells to Hagrid, and Professor Longbottom, and then boarded the train to go back to London. They managed to get a compartment all to themselves, and enjoyed their last few hours of magic before the trace was applicable again, they played exploding snap, and discussed their plans for the holidays, and just enjoyed their time as best friends together, as much as they could, because they wouldn't all be together again until the beginning of the next term.\

* * *

All too soon the train pulled into Platform 9¾ and students went to go and meet their happy families. Scorpius spotted his parents first and dragged Albus, Rose and Carter over to them. They hugged "Mum, Dad, this is Al Potter, Rose Weasley and Carter Nickel" he said pointing each out. Draco then said directly to Carter "Next week you are coming to stay with us, and I shall pick you up from the Ministry, nice to meet you." Scorpius then left with his family just before a young boy with red hair ran up to Rose and hugged her saying "Rose there you are! Finally, they're driving me bloody barmy"

"Hugo Language!" scolded Rose "Carter, this is my baby brother Hugo" introduced Rose while Hugo mumbled something that resembled " 'm not a baby Rose" she was completely oblivious to this and then said "Hugo, this is my best friend Carter and in two weeks she will stay for a week before going to Al's" said girl waved at said boy.

A man with red hair and blue eyes showed up soon, with a woman with brown bushy hair tied back and brown eyes, and it was obvious that they were Rose's parents. The woman hugged her daughter while her husband stared at Carter as if trying work something out, but no matter how hard his brain worked he couldn't figure it out. "Hello, I'm Carter, you must be Rose's parents" said Carter

"Hi, your coming to stay during the holidays aren't you?" asked Rose's mother Carter nodded.

"There's something familiar about you but I can't quite place it" said Rose's father "Hermione do we have any bacon at home?" he asked

"Ron do you only think about your stomach, our daughter just returned from her first year at Hogwarts, and you haven't even said hello to her, and you're asking about bacon!" 'Hermione' said to her husband while Rose mouthed to Carter 'this happens all the time it's normal'

The Weasley family (well part of it anyway left) and Albus was attacked by a young girl with red hair, who from the mumbling seemed like his sister. Instead of helping him get up, Carter just laughed at him, and he sent her the death glare. James then appeared with Harry and Albus' mum, Harry waved while Al's mum hugged him while saving him from Lily. Lily turned to look at Carter, and observed her, this didn't go unnoticed by Harry, he then intervened the awkward silence and said "Lily, Ginny this is Carter Nickel, she is the girl that'll be staying with us for most of the holidays" Carter waved, and Lily waved back, while James had a mischievous grin on his face, as if he were planning a prank.

Al grabbed Carter into a hug just as Harry said that they needed to leave and they said their goodbyes for a few weeks and keep in touch and stuff like that. The Potter family then left the platform. Most of the families had cleared, and so Teddy and Victorie showed up out of the shadows of the platform. Teddy hugged Carter first then Victorie did, they grabbed their trunks and then apparated back to the second place where Carter had first found happiness after her parents murders, Andromeda Tonks' house. She came and greeted them and showed Carter her room, quickly Teddy and Victorie apparated to go and see the Weasley Clan, who were celebrating the homecoming of everyone and Victorie's graduation. Andromeda questioned Carter about the year and how Hogwarts was, they spoke for hours, and then Carter fell asleep on her bed, partially happy to be back, but sad that she couldn't see her parents or friends when she woke up.

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**Authors Note: I would love to thank everyone who has reviewed previously, and I would love to hear your feedback through anyway of communication on fanfiction- Favourite, Follow, PM or Review. I plan to have the next chapter up soon, so until then please read some of my other stories, the connecting story of Carter's parents death is now up as a prequel to this story, until next time!**


	11. Holidays Before 2nd Year

**Authors Note: Ok finally, this was written last weekend but I hadn't had that much time, but for your enjoyment here is the next installment of Carter's life. For all those people who enjoyed the french a few chapters ago and so I have added some in.**

**I don't own, check other chapters for disclaimers **

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The day after the school holidays started, Andromeda asked Teddy and Victorie to take Carter to her parents and other family members' graves for the first time, as she wouldn't be able to herself, and as Carter had not told anyone about her situation, she wouldn't be able to visit them with her parents. They set out after breakfast to the cemetery near Carter's parents house, and she found them without difficulty, she spotted her sisters' graves first, written on the headstone was;

_Kayla Celeste Nickel Ariel Amethyst Nickel  
Daughters of Celeste and David Nickel  
12 December 2001 28 July 2004  
17 December 2010 17 December 2010  
Once a part of a family, always a part of a family_

She cried and then she broke down in tears wanting to see her sisters with her again, and not for them to be dead. She moved to the next headstone to the left and found her Aunt Mikayla, and both of her muggle grandparents;

_Mikayla Estelle Nickel  
Beloved Daughter of Estelle and Edwin  
Loved Sister of David and Sister in Law to Celeste  
Amazing Aunt to Ariel, Carter and Kayla  
16 November 1982- 20 December 2012_

_Estelle Elisabeth Nickel_  
_Wife to Edwin, Mother to Mikayla and David and Mother in Law to Celeste_  
_Beloved Grandmother to Ariel, Carter and Kayla_  
_3 February 1958-15 August 2012_

_Edwin David Nickel_  
_Husband to Estelle, Father to Mikayla and David and Father in Law to Celeste_  
_Loved Grandfather to Ariel, Carter and Kayla_  
_27 July 1975-13 October 2006_  
_Fighting until the end_

Nothing stopped Carter crying at this tombstone either looking at the names of two of the family members names that she never really knew. She dared herself to look at the tombstone next to her sisters' on the right and found her late parents;

_Celeste Amethyst Nickel (nee Black) David Edwin Nickel  
Daughter of Sirius Black and Amethyst Son of Estelle and Edwin Nickel  
Mother of Ariel, Carter and Kayla Brother to Mikayla, Father to Ariel, Carter and Kayla  
5 January 1980-1 August 2017 24 June 1979 -1 August 2017  
Together forever, protecting those who they love_

She shed so many tears in the graveyard not bothering to look at anymore, she didn't think she could handle it, Victorie conjured up a rose for each tombstone, and Carter placed them mumbling apologies under her breath. After four hours they apparated back to Andromeda's house. That night she had another relapse, and bled more than she had previously at Hogwarts, when it was over she resumed looking through her photo album.

The next morning when Carter awoke she found the Daily Prophet, and found another article about the attack; **Aurors are still completely baffled by the murder of David and Celeste Nickel  
**_**The Auror office is no closer to figuring out who killed David and Celeste Nickel, as they are to the mysterious third patch of blood in the house. Everything has been analysed and nothing has been found out, are the Aurors clueless? Or is the murderer a mastermind? No Aurors were free to comment due to the heavy workload, but we can exclusively announce that there have been some related incidents, that may give them a hint, which is why they have been looking over the previous case files of the murders of their daughters Ariel and Kayla, and the death of Mikayla Nickel. Hopefully the whole ordeal will be solved sometime soon.**_

Thoughts raced around her head, what if they found out that Carter was still alive, or that she knew all of the details of the murder, her thoughts were interrupted by an owl tapping on the window, with a piece of parchment bound to it's leg. She unbound it and read the letter which said;

_Dear Carter,  
Hope your having a good time with your guardian or parents or whoever you're spending your time with,  
I'm great, and I can't wait to see you next week, well on Sunday, I think my parents are worried about me because I won't shut up about all the things we did at Hogwarts, and how amazing it is to have you, Al and Rose as my best friends.  
Anyway, Dad is peering over my shoulder, and he says hello, he wants me to tell you that he will be picking you up from the Ministry's fountain thing, I forgot what it's called but anyway at 5pm on Sunday.  
Please respond, Dad's just left, I'm sending this with his owl so please send it back as soon as possible_

_Scorp_

"I have details", she ran downstairs and told Andromeda before writing back to Scorp

_**Scorp,  
RELAX!  
I'm great and I'm staying with my guardian at the moment,  
my guardian says that it's fine for me to be at the ministry at that time, I'll probably be there early,  
Tell your parents I said hi as well, and I can't wait til next week either  
BYEEE!  
Carter**_

* * *

She quickly attached the note to the owl's leg and it flew off into the distance. The rest of the week passed quickly, and the happiness of seeing her friends helped Carter to get through that week, without a relapse, Carter, Rose, Al and Scorpius had been corresponding via owls all week. On Saturday night Carter repacked her bags ready to go to the Malfoy's the next day, because she was so excited.

It was early Sunday morning and Carter was flicking through her photo album and reading the letters that she had written to her parents and sisters throughout the year, when Teddy knocked on the door with bubblegum pink hair and his natural amber eyes. He tapped on his watch saying that it was time to go, she put the photo album back in her bag and said farewell to Andromeda, they apparated to the Ministry of Magic's Auror department and Teddy left Carter in his office while he attended a meeting. He came back briefly for lunch and then went to another meeting that took three hours. She entertained herself by playing with a Rubik's cube on his desk, and by looking at all the photos on the walls, there were so many on the desk as well. When she had finished looking at the photos she saw a pinboard with all the cases that were being conducted, she saw the smiling picture of her parents, and then the photo next to it was their dead bodies, it was saddening for her to see this, and so she looked away. When Teddy came back he worked at his desk until 4:45pm, when he decided to take Carter to the Fountain of Magical Brethren where she would wait for Draco Malfoy. It took them ten minutes to get there, and then they said goodbye.

She waited for Draco to show up, and he arrived at exactly 5pm. "Hello Mr. Malfoy" she greeted him.

"Hello Carter, are you ready to go?" he asked

"Yes" she replied, no sooner had the word slipped out of her mouth she felt the twisting and turning of being hurled through the air, and arrived at Scorpius' home. As soon as they landed, Draco took her luggage to the spare room. She did not even have enough time to steady herself before she was pinned to the floor by Scorpius in a bone crushing hug, she hugged him back, just not so tightly. Eventually Scorpius' mother came down the stairs, and he released Carter from his grasp. Scorpius took Carter for a tour of the house, then they did their homework to get it over and done with, then they had the rest of the week to muck about, and have heaps of fun. Scorpius' parents didn't really have much to do with the pair, not wanting to intrude, they just ate meals together, and sometimes went on outings together.

All too soon the next Sunday came, and it was time for Carter to go to Rose's house. Scorpius and Carter said their goodbyes just before 4:30pm, when Draco, took her via apparition to the Ministry, to the place where he collected her.

"Thank you for having me Mr. Malfoy" said Carter, before he left

"No problems. Do you know where you are supposed to wait for King of the Weas- Mr. Weasley?" He asked

"Yup" and without another word he left, and she headed to the Auror Office, the way that Teddy had shown her the previous week. She found the office without issue, and knocked on the office door to where she thought Mr. Weasley's office was, the door opened and there was Teddy sitting at his desk snogging Victorie.

* * *

He looked up, and to say he was surprised was an understatement, he recovered himself as quickly as possible, and she buttoned her shirt back up "Carter what an, er, unexpected surprise!" said Teddy

"Um… wrong door… oops" she said squirming in the uncomfortableness of the situation.

"Nevermind-" started Teddy before Victorie cut across and said "Qui avez-vous perdu?" **(Who have you lost?)**

"J'ai cherche pour votre oncle" Carter answered (**I'm looking for your uncle**) while Teddy was looking quite confused.

"Quel oncle?" responded Victorie laughing (**Which Uncle?**)

"Ron Weasley" Carter answered, at this Teddy was completely baffled, and whispered to Victorie for a translation of the situation. After a couple of minutes he nodded, and decided to take Carter over, they left the room with Teddy saying in an imitation of the Terminator voice "I'll be back" Victorie giggled and they went further down the corridor.

They finally reached the door, and knocked, it was opened immediately by Ron before he even asked anything Teddy said "She knocked on my office door, thinking it was yours" he winked at Carter and then left back to his girlfriend to do some more "paperwork". She turned around and sat on a comfy armchair, until they had to go, she noticed many images of her parents, and then many photos of Rose, Hugo, him and Rose's mum around the place, some of Harry Potter, him and his wife. When it was time to leave, they walked to the fireplace, and flooed into the home of this part of the Weasley family resides, where Rose was anxiously waiting by the fireplace. Ron came out first followed by an unbalanced Carter, who fell flat on her face when she landed, Hugo laughed and Rose uncomfortably stared at her 'baby' brother until he finally shut up, she helped Carter up then the two hugged. Carter said a quick hello to Hugo, and Rose's mother, then she followed Rose to her bedroom and they talked and talked and talked about random topics that came up (what they had been doing for the past two weeks of the school holidays, what Scorp's family is like, what they would do next year in various subjects, holiday homework (which was brought up by Rose, and it wasn't lingered on for long) and at one point the discussion was about gnomes). Quickly dinner was served and the affair was completely different to the Malfoy's, they all served themselves from all of the possibilities on the table, people would talk whenever, and it reminded her of how her family would never be able to do any of this with her. They played wizards chess before bed and Rose thrashed Carter in five moves, they then went to bed, but before she did, Carter looked at the photo album and noticed a new photo that had been added, it was of her and Rose, after she arrived in style via floo powder.

* * *

The next morning Rose woke up, and took a shower while she could, she then replayed many memories in her brain, that she had with her family and with her friends, Rose stirred, and so Carter decided to use the moments to study the room, it was filled with photos that hung around the room, she was surprised to find a picture of the four of them, she saw other photos, ones with Al and her, ones with her entire family. There were also many Chudley Cannons and Holyhead Harpies posters around the room, Carter's bed was next to Rose's, there were two trunks in the corner of the room, and they belonged to the pair. Various Rose's were painted on the walls, and on the bed sheets, there was a single red rose in the middle of a white quilt cover. Rose awoke and she jumped out of bed, saying a quick hello to Carter, then raced down the stairs, with Carter in tow, and sat at the dining table, where bacon was being cooked. Ron was next to his wife trying to help cook, when Hugo appeared from a cloud of black smoke, Hermione then interrogated him, about where, and how he got the smoke, all Carter heard was Uncle George, and a grunt that came from Hermione.

They ate in silence, Hermione stared at Hugo the entire time, while Carter, Rose and Ron where all giggling (well in Ron's case laughing) under their breaths. After breakfast they went into the backyard and played Quidditch, Rose and Ron vs. Hugo and Carter, the game started, and Carter and Rose were chasers, while Hugo and Ron were keepers. Carter gained possession of the quaffle and scored the first points of the game, it continued, and they were matched at 100 each way, Carter had possession of the quaffle, when another relapse started, she tried to land safely, it didn't work, and she fell straight from the broom to the ground, she would have hit the ground quite hard, and quickly had Ron not have seen this, and stopped her with arresto momentum. She bled , and woke up in the bed she was using in Rose's room, bandaged up, and a massive headache, she quickly understood what had happened, and she then looked around to find Rose on her bed, watching her.

"Well, hi to you too Rose" greeted Carter, while Rose sat there with a shocked expression on her face.

'So you fall off a broom, bleeding, unconscious, and the first thing you say is "Well, hi to you too Rose"?' she questioned in a joking tone, but there was a hint of worry in her voice also.

"Yep, well would you rather me say, Where am I?" she asked sarcastically "Well I guess I could also say, 'Hey, I fell off a broom from at least 50 metres in the air and I survived.'" Rose just stared, then she left the room.

* * *

Soon enough Rose's parents arrived into the room, and started to check up on her and see if she was alright, and if she could remember why she fell off her broom. When she was asked this, she quickly came up with the lie, that she simply lost her balance, and before she could regain it, she fell off, which wasn't a complete lie, it just wasn't the full truth, they seemed satisfied with the answer, and left her alone with Rose.

For the rest of her visit she didn't do too much, but they went on outings, but they didn't play Quidditch again, for her safety. On Sunday around lunch they flooed to the Burrow with Carter's things, and her entrance was even more elegant than the one she had entering Rose's home, she epically failed, landing on her face once again, covered in soot and her bags, when she emerged from the fire, she exclaimed "Can I get any worse at flooing, I mean I am a clutz" just as she had finished her statement, a blur appeared before her and seemed more determined than Scorpius to squeeze her to death, it was Al.

Standing behind him, were the rest of the Weasley/ Potter/ Lupin gang laughing their heads off, at their discomfort, before Al's mum decided to save the poor girl before she suffocated, "Albus Severus Potter let her go, before she suffocates" said Ginny half laughing and half serious. All the members of the Potter/Weasley/ Lupin gang who Carter had not met or, had not told anyone that she had met were introduced, and Carter was shocked at the size of the family yet again, because they look a lot bigger than the family did in photos. After an amazing lunch served by Molly, and some of the other family members, all the kids except Teddy and Victorie went outside to play Quidditch, Carter agreed to be referee, it was team Flowers (Lily (who chose the name of the team despite the fact nobody wanted it) Rose, Albus, Louis, Hugo) vs. Muscles (Fred, James(who also chose the name of the team), Roxanne, Dominique and Lucy) while Lucy commentated the game. Eventually the flowers won with Al catching the snitch.

* * *

After the game it was time to leave, so Rose and Carter said goodbye, then side-along apparated with Ginny, to their home. When they landed Carter said "Yep, I definitely like apparating better than the floo network" while the others all laughed. Al showed her up to the guest room, but when she left the room she saw a smirk on James' face that only was there when he was plotting or a plan for a prank that had gone correctly. Before dinner Al and Carter talked and talked and well you get the picture. They talked about their plans for the rest of the summer, and then dinner was ready…

They went down the stairs and ate pasta for dinner, James continued to look up at the ceiling, as if something was about to fall down onto Carter's head, then she felt it, there was a massive fake spider on top of her head, fake cockroaches were also entangled into her hair. Instead of doing the normal girly thing, she continued to eat, and James' grin stopped, and he was wondering if it had actually worked. When they had finished dinner, Al whispered to her about the spider and cockroach in her hair and she answered "watch this", and he obliged. She walked over to James and said whilst picking cockroaches and the spider out of her hair "James, if you're going to prank me, you are going to have to do better than this" handing back the cockroaches, and then she skipped off up the stairs with a laughing Albus behind her, James was left there dumbstruck.

Over the summer holidays they did many things, they went to Hogsmead, Diagon Alley, the Burrow, and Rose's house several times. Sometimes they went swimming, and Carter concealed her arms with the spell. When she wasn't in the water, she wore skivvys and other cover ups, so that no one would see the scars. Many unsuccessful attempts at pranks were done to Carter by James, and every time she told him to try harder. The photo album was added to, many times, with all the good times that they had. On August 1 2018 she was especially sad, because it was the 1 year anniversary of the attack and her parents death, no person knew what was wrong, but it was obvious that it was a onetime thing, because the next day she was completely happy again, well as happy as she could be.

* * *

31st August was Carter's birthday, she woke up early, and flicked through the photo album and read the letters she sent parents, that were redirected to her. Her thoughts were interrupted by a tapping at the window, it was a large owl with a parcel attatched to it. She opened the scroll and it said;

_Dear Carter,  
When we were searching through your parents house I found this bracelet,  
I'm giving it to you as there it was your mother's,  
and I thought it would cheer you up._

_Happy Birthday  
Teddy_

She opened it up, and in there was a charm bracelet with mini icons of the world on it, everywhere that her mother had been. She loved the gift and put it on her wrist. She got dressed and then grabbed her jacket. Carter put her hand in the pocket and found another note addressed to her;

_Carter,  
If you are reading this then we are dead, and it is your 12__th__ Birthday,  
firstly Happy Birthday Darling.  
Secondly there is a necklace that belonged to me, and your Aunt Mikayla, Grandma Estelle, her mother and you get the picture.  
It is yours now, and when your daughter turns 12 you can give it to her.  
Remember we love you forever  
Mum & Dad_

She cried, and put her hand into her pocket again, and pulled out a beautiful necklace that Carter fell in love with immediately; she put it on and then went downstairs. She was greeted by a chorus of Happy Birthday, and bacon and eggs for breakfast. The day progressed, there was a joint party for Carter's birthday and a farewell party for all the members of the family leaving to go to Hogwarts, there was a chocolate mud cake, and lots of food. All in all it was a great day, and then they packed for the train ride tomorrow. The last thought that Carter had before going to sleep was get back to Hogwarts.

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**Authors Note: You like, I need your opinion please! next chapter will be here sometime prior to 2013**


	12. En Voiture, En Chariot et En Train

**Authors Note: To all the people who are still reading or are reading this story, I would love to thank you, there should be a poll up on my profile, because I need some input about whether it be the next chapter or in a few chapters ok, please do vote, voting will close on 14/12/12 3:00pm UTC +10:00**

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The sun shone brightly on the 1st September 2018, Carter woke up, and flicked through the photo album, and that was all she had left of her family. The scars on her limbs burned and she experienced some quite severe pain in total silence, when it was over, the door opened and there was a dumbstruck Albus Severus Potter, looking at Carter in her underwear. You could feel the awkwardness in the air had you have been there; they both stared at each other prior to Al snapping out of his gobsmacked-ness and said "Oh, this isn't Lily's room, my bad!" then he left. After the door shut Carter flopped onto the bed and went into hysterical giggling.

Carter got dressed, she wore the locket and the bracelet that she had received for her 12th birthday, and went downstairs to enter the havoc of the Potter family at 8 o'clock in the morning. To the young female's surprise she found that everyone (minus James) was sitting at the table, and having a civilised conversation, she realised that it was only because two out of the three Potter children would be returning to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She sat at the table and took a bit of toast, when an evil looking James entered the room, Ginny caught the suspicious look, and went to go and check his trunk for anything from her brother's store. After a few minutes of eating in silence, there was a yelling, and a screaming, the only person who went to go and do anything about it was Harry.

An hour later they were in the car going to King's Cross Station in London after triple checking that they had everything that was needed for the next school year. Carter was the first ready, because she didn't have to sort through everything, she just took it with her, so she decided to help Al with his stuff. On the trip to the station, the Potter's were having a discussion about something, and Carter was inspecting her locket, she discovered that on the front was an inscription which said _Le trésor des choses que vous avez, les gens que vous aimez, et les moments que vous rencontrez, car une fois qu'ils sont partis, tout ce que vous avez des souvenirs. _ There was an inscription on the bracelet as well, which Carter had not noticed, that said _Toujours être même parce que quand vous allez partir, c'est comme ça ceux que vous avez laissé derrière vous rappellerez-vous._ She thought about this on the journey.

* * *

Soon enough they arrived at the station, and got onto the platform with no issues. Al and Carter tried to help put their trunks onto the train, but failed epically and so Harry just did it for them, after they found Rose and Scorpius, they were going to share stories until Lily ran up to Al and clung onto his leg crying. Al and Carter went back to where Harry and Ginny were, and somehow managed to pry Lily off Al. The announcement that it was five minutes until departure came through the speakers, and they said their farewells to everyone and boarded the train.

Rose, Scorpius, Al and Carter managed to get a compartment to themselves, and they started to share stories about the holidays. Carter planned to get through the whole conversation and never had the falling off a broom in the middle of the orchard at Rose's house come up, but obviously Rose had other plans. "Hey Carter, remember when you fell off the broom at my house?"

"Carter, you never mentioned this before." Said Al with concern

"It wasn't important, I survived if you can't see that" she said bitterly "Anyway, what did everyone do during the first week holidays?" she tried to change the subject

"Well, I went crazy waiting, with excitement waiting for Carter to show up" said Scorp

"I got flying lessons from Mum and Dad" said Al

"I hung out with Hugo, Mum and Dad" replied Rose "What about you?"

All Carter could think was, I sat recovering, and I went to the graveyard to pay respects to my family "I spent a day with my family while they were on holiday, and then I just relaxed" she said, thinking hey it wasn't a total lie, she did spend the day with her family, they just aren't so much on holiday as dead, and she did relax.

* * *

Before anyone could press anything any further the food trolley came, and they shared some lollies, but all through the time, Al was staring at Carter strangely, as if he didn't believe her completely, or as if he could still see her in her underwear. As if no time had passed at all they arrived at Hogsmead station, and walked to the carriages after waving to Hagrid. Carter saw the scabby, quite strange looking horses pulling the carriages, and she was both intrigued and scared of the strange creatures, Rose told her to hurry up, and she did, but she never mentioned the creatures, because it was obvious that no one else saw them, there was a part of her that thought perhaps she was going crazy. As usual the trip was breathtaking and Carter momentarily forgot about the creatures.

When they arrived at the castle they went into the Great Hall for the Welcoming feast, it looked the same as the previous year, but with fewer students, and a lot less intimidating for the second years. The hall settled down at once because the first years had just entered and the Sorting Hat was about to sing it's song for the year.

_Welcome to a new Year  
Where you will learn new things  
About others and yourselves  
Although some of you hide things  
Your secrets may not become so private  
whether you like it or not  
You may belong in Gryffindor  
Where those who are courageous dwell,  
You may belong in Hufflepuff  
Where Loyalty is always found  
You may belong in Ravenclaw,  
Where the smartest belong  
Or you may belong in Slytherin  
Where being ambitious rules the lot.  
So put me on your head  
and see where you are lead._

The Great Hall burst into applause, however Carter couldn't stop thinking about the lines in the song: _Although some of you hide things your secrets may not become so private whether you like it or not. _Did that refer to me she thought to herself, but was brought back by Al whacking her on the scar on her left arm. The sorting went on for a while, and she clapped along with the rest of Gryffindor when a tiny First year was put into Gryffindor. Finally the sorting ended with Jason Wiley becoming a Hufflepuff. The food magically appeared on the table, and Carter started to grab anything that was in reach, then the dessert came and Carter ate all she could. Once the food was demolished, the Headmaster gave his speech, the usual new things that have been banned, stay away from the forbidden forest, blah, blah, blah. After the Headmaster had finished, the quartet went up to Gryffindor tower, and slept peacefully that night.

* * *

The next morning Carter woke up and found Rose's bed empty, she got dressed and went to investigate, she didn't go very far before she found her best friend shouting at Al and arguing with Scorp. "SHUT UP!" Carter yelled

"CARTER!" yelled Al with a sigh of relief, said girl blushed

"Why are people yelling and what are you two arguing about now?" she asked looking from Rose to Scorpius and back to Rose.

"Scorpius stole my quill!" Rose stated in an isn't-it-obvious tone of voice.

"Did Not!" he exclaimed, Al and Carter looked at each other and had to fight the urge to laugh uncontrollably at the pair, instead they backed away out the door, after Al had grabbed his things and went into the common room. That was where they started to laugh uncontrollably. Before the twosome could get whacked by Rose and Scorpius they went down to breakfast as Carter thought that it was going to be a long year.

* * *

**Authors Note: I don't know what you guys think, but here are the translations for the inscriptions if you can't understand them that I came up with, and a quote that I came up with that inspired the inscriptions. Let me know what you think or even if you're just reading it please let me know that people are still reading it.**

**I think that many of the Next-Gen Characters won't have witnessed death, so thats why there are thestrals**

**Every time someone you love dies, a part of yourself dies too, because there can be no more experiences, just memories. Eventually all of the parts of yourself that have died add up, and then you rejoin those who caused you the initial pain.**

**_Treasure the things you have, the people you love, and the moments that you experience, because once they're gone, all you have are memories. (The locket)_**

**_Always be yourself because when you go, that is how those that you left behind will remember you. (The bracelet)_**


	13. Awkward Situation

**Author's Note: Only one person voted on the poll on my profile, and so to make a majority I need at least 3 votes, please do take the time to answer it, the deadline has been extended to GMT +9:30 17/01/2013 (or for anyone who puts the month first 1/17/2013). Please enjoy this chapter of Changes, results from the poll are needed for chapter 14. I only own the Nickel family, plotline, blah, blah, blah you get the point (and if you don't then I shall write it and you will probably go and facepalm, I AM NOT J. ) So on with the story….**

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Unknown to Carter previously, this year would be harder than the last. They had gotten through the basics and the refreshing from last year, and had started the second year coursework; including mandrakes and mimbulus mimblitonia in herbology, disappearing objects in charms, and changing hair colour in transfiguration. It wasn't just schoolwork, Rose and Scorpius continued to fight, the relapses weren't as often but were just as strong, growth spurts made it harder to hide the scars from others' view and the sadness of having of write letters who would never actually receive them or write back.

She woke to the sound of two very familiar voices arguing, about today's topic: If Rose really beat Scorpius at chess yesterday. Carter was fed up and opened her eyes and found herself on the couch in front of the fireplace. To shut the annoying twelve year olds up, Carter grabbed a pillow and threw it at them, when she threw the pillow she fell off the couch with a loud thump! What Carter wasn't expecting was for someone else to thump on top of her. Everyone was staring at the two people on the floor; some with disapproving looks (Rose), some bursting into hysterical laughter (Scorpius and the rest of the Weasley's) and one person was so far past laughter that they had collapsed onto the floor, laughing manically (named James Sirius Potter).

It took Carter a minute to realise that someone was on top of her, and it also took that person the same amount of time, and he got off her. Carter rolled over and found the figure of Albus Severus Potter standing above her holding out a hand. Once she had stood up she addressed the watching people "we fell asleep, nothing more, nothing less, we were working on homework! Stop looking at us like that!" then she went up the stairs to get changed.

All Carter could think about was how nice it was to be sleeping with Al, and if no-one had found them, would it have been as awkward when they had woken up? Ever since the Summer Holidays she had felt closer to Al, and enjoyed his company more than Scorpius. Before she could finish her thoughts, she was dressed and couldn't delay confronting the situation any longer…

Carter descended the staircase and found the Common Room completely deserted except for a single person, sitting on the infamous couch. She made her way over running through many scenarios of how this one conversation could go in her head. When she got to her achieved destination she flopped onto the couch beside Al "So…" she said awkwardly "Hi"

"Hi Carter" he said obviously not wanting to start the conversation

"Do we really need to talk about it?" asked Carter "Or can we just forget it ever happened" she continued hoping for the former.

"Dunno, but did you see the look on Rose's face?" he asked and Carter laughed.

"Oh yeah, that was hilarious" said Carter and Al joined in on her laughter "I expect an owl from Mum and Dad any second now"

"James" Carter said in her isn't –it –the –most –obvious –thing –in –the - world voice "I get to read that letter"

Al laughed "fine, but next time we fall asleep in the same scenario, let's do it somewhere where my dear family can't find us in a compromising position?"

"Oh, so there's going to be a next time, is there?" said Carter wiggling her eyebrows, then they both cracked up laughing. "Hey Al, you want to help me freak out Rose and possibly Scorp?" Carter asked with an evil glint in her eyes. Al nodded and she whispered her devious plan to him.

Ten minutes later Al and Carter entered the Great Hall holding hands, and just before Carter sat down next to Rose, Albus kissed her cheek. "Guys, we have some news" said Carter, while she winked at Al "Al and I are going out, we're sorry we didn't tell you sooner." The reactions were better than Carter had expected; Rose stopped eating her bacon ( a rare occasion indeed) and the mouthful of pumpkin juice in Scorpius' mouth was sprayed all over the table.

"What?" Rose and Scorpius asked simultaneously surprised.

Before Al and Carter could laugh, James jumped up onto the Gryffindor table and said to Fred (well he pretty much yelled) "Ha you lose! 20 GALLEONS TO ME!" Reluctantly Fred handed James the 20 galleons, and Carter and Al burst into laughter, and the four of them looked really confused.

"You are so gullible!" choked Al with laughter, while Fred caught on, the other three were still clueless.

"Ohhhh" said Scorp finally catching on, and he didn't look that amused.

"We- are- not- dating" said Carter in syllables as it was the only way for James and Rose to understand "We got you!" Scorp, Rose and James looked hurt.

"Dude give me back my 20 galleons and an extra 20 galleons from the bet James" demanded Fred.

"Never!" yelled James running away and Fred chased him.

Within the next few days it seemed like that everyone had forgotten the awkward situation that had occurred with the couch. Up until Al got a letter from his dad that said:

_Al,  
You know your brother, and your cousins, did you really think that we wouldn't find out?  
Al, I suggest pulling a trick on James with it (for payback), and if it happens again do it somewhere more private than the Common Room, so it's more likely that any of our family won't find you so easily. I know from experience and if you want ask Mum, she knows too well.  
Dad  
P.S. Lily is driving us insane, and practically begged me to say hi for her._

"So your Dad finds it amusing, huh?" said Carter "and I am going to point out that you two think similarly." Carter said as she passed the letter back to Albus. "I have a feeling that we will never live it down"

"Knowing my family, that's true" stated Al.

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**Author's Note: That's the end of Chapter 13, it's sort of a filler until I have the results from the poll. Please vote and leave a review to let me know that people are still reading or a favourite or a follow, you can also PM me. Thanks to reviewers Cheyannerose13 and BananaLollypop.**


	14. What day is it?

**Author's Note: I would love to thank the five people who voted on the poll, and the results are:  
Year 2: 28%  
Year 3: 71%  
Year 4: 0%  
(I am aware that it only adds up to 99%, but this is how I have been given the results on the poll) and so I shall make the quartet learn about Boggarts in their 3****rd**** year, but it will be briefly discussed near the end of their 2****nd**** year. I don't own anything that you recognise. So yeah, I would also like to thank The403yearold for reviewing and correcting my error in chapter 6. Please read and let me know what you think in any way electronically allowed by this website.**

Not much had changed since the couch/homework incident, except that Rose and Scorpius had both tried to outdo each other in History of Magic, and James and Fred had gotten more detentions. One of the only things that had made a difference to Carter's life since the couch/homework incident and that there had been no more relapses since. Lessons had progressed further, although History of Magic was still as boring as ever, because Carter really didn't care about centaur wars. Halloween had passed without any troll invasions or murders.

Carter woke up with a stabbing pain in her neck. She looked out the window and saw that the sun was close to rising, which really meant that it was way too early to get up. Alas the pain would not go away, so the young girl got up and got ready for class despite it being hours away. Carter dressed in a black skivvy and long black pants underneath her school robes to hide the scars, the locket and the bracelet that she received for her birthday. After Carter had gotten ready she looked over at Rose's bed and found her sleeping soundly as if there was no tomorrow and snoring quite loudly too.

Carter walked down the stairs to the Common Room and sat on the couch, and let her mind wander. Something wasn't right; there was something that she was forgetting about, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. Her mind continued to wander for about another hour up until someone snapped her out of it. It was Scorpius, when she finally realised that she said "Hi, sorry, zoned out. What do you want?"

"It's five o'clock in the morning on a Monday, and you're sitting on the couch ready to go? That's not strange at all" he said sarcastically

"Says the person in their pyjamas up at five on a Monday morning" she responded under her breath. She looked around the Gryffindor Common Room to avoid talking anymore and once Scorpius realised that she wasn't going to talk, he walked back up the stairs and left Carter alone. While Carter was looking around the Common Room, the calendar on the mantle above the fireplace caught her eye.

It can't be the 17th December, it can't be, she thought. She had finally connected the dots. Carter had remembered what today was. She had figured out why her neck hurt and why some of the scars on her body stung. The 17th December 2018 was the ninth anniversary of Carter's sisters' murders. She honestly couldn't believe it; it had been nine years to the day, that two of her role models were brutally taken from Earth.

Carter could remember that day with perfect clarity; the pain, the blood, the screams, the attackers, the baseball bat and the knife. Kayla and Ariel tried to protect, and they had always loved her. It was all too much for Carter, she couldn't handle it anymore, and so she grabbed her bag full of books and her photo album and ran out the portrait hole.

Carter kept running until she found an abandoned bathroom, with an out of order sign on the door. She opened the door and entered. She sat down in front of the sink and cried over her losses. She retrieved the photo album from her bag and flicked to the picture of her family that had been taken shortly before the first attack. She stared at it for hours, admiring their faces, imagining what they would look like now and wondering how different life for herself would have been had the first attack never happened.

Nobody saw Carter that day besides Scorpius at five o'clock that morning. As the day went on, Rose, Albus and Scorpius all became more worried and anxious about her. The teachers also noticed her absence but didn't mention it. It wasn't until dinner that the teachers decided to try and find Carter. Rose, Scorpius and Al had already looked in all the places they knew where it was likely she would go, and were still trying to find her.

It was ten o'clock and still no one knew that Carter was crying her eyes out in one of the most obvious spots in Hogwarts. Around ten thirty Carter heard the bathroom door open, she quickly stuffed the photo album back into her bag and wiped the tears from her eyes. When the young girl looked up and saw both her herbology teacher and Head of Houser looking down at her. He said nothing, but with a finger he beckoned her to follow him to his office…

**Author's Note: Oooh Cliff-hanger. Do you know where Carter hid? Should she tell Neville everything and swear him to secrecy about her situation or should she just lie? You've read so why not let me know what you think?**


	15. Accusations

**Author's Note: Check previous chapters for disclaimers**

The walk from the abandoned bathroom to Longbottom's office was a very long one for Carter, she should have been thinking about what she would have to do for detention or where her friends were if she were a normal twelve year old witch. Someone else in Carter's position and background would probably think about if Professor Longbottom had pieced their background together, but all that was running through her head were still all those thoughts she had of and about her late family. It was as if she hadn't realized what had interrupted her thoughts had even been interrupted at all. This train of thought of Carter's was stopped at the opening of Professor Longbottom's office door.

Carter sat down on the comfy chair in front of Professor Longbottom's desk, this was where she actually started to worry. Professor Longbttom walked very slowly to his desk chair, everything was in super slow motion, and then he finally sat down on his chair. There was on awkward silence for what seemed like an eternity to Carter and then he decided to speak.

"Have I ever told you about my life Carter? When I was born there was a big war between the Wizarding world, my parents fought against Death Eaters and Voldemort, eventually Voldemort left and almost everyone was happy about it. Many people died, Albus' grandparents died just before Voldemort left, and I mean just before. A couple of months later, my parents were tortured by Bel-Belatrix Lestrange and a couple of other Death Eaters for information on Voldemort's current location at that time, and they didn't know, they were tortured into insanity. I was raised by my grandmother, when I started at Hogwarts, I met Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger and I;m proud to say they are like family to me, but Voldemort tried to come back numerous times, I won't go into detail on that and when I was fourteen he did manage to come back. There was a war that went on for three long years, we lost many people, who didn't deserve to die, eventually Harry killed Voldemort and then the world could start to heal itself. After the war I went to become an Auror, the last case I worked on was a murder case, that still remains unsolved today.

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked

"Well, I was looking through the case files of all the Nickel murders, there seems to be many of them, I was curious after your essay and I was able to find your 'people you knew who had passed away' piece of parchment and a fair few of the names coinside with the files, I looked into the murders of Kayla and Ariel and discovered your name. I have connected most of the dots, would you care to elaborate?"

""Fine, what do you wish to know?"

"Who attacked your family and why?"

"Three Death Eaters, Yaxley and two Lestranges, as for the reasoning behind the attacks, I don't know"

"Why did they spare you?"

"They didn't, they thought I was dead, or dying in both attacks, that I was present for, and they left me to die if I wasn't already dead."

"What did they do to you? Besides taking your family?"

"Caused me enough pain to last an eternity." She started to cry, he let her go, using this information to solve the case, but he didn't tell anyone because it was obvious that Carter didn't want anyone to know about her life prior to Hogwarts.

As a child, Carter wasn't allowed to go anywhere alone. Her parents were very protective to the point of letting her out in the garden on a child safety teather for five minutes a day, only so that she could get some Vitamin D. Sure she got presents at Christmas and her birthday, but she barely saw outside her house. Many of Carter's accidental magic was her attempting to achieve freedom, even the simple thing like opening the front door was forbidden. One time she tried to jump out the window, she got as far as the front gate, before she was caught. The young girl was never left alone, even when she went to the bathroom, one parent would work, while the other stays at home like a watchdog. After the murder of her parents and Carter was forced to flee, she was free; she was able to make her own decisions. She saw the scenery herself, not just the drawings, that she had drawn out of desire and boredom. The Nickel's wouldn't even allow a computer, because someone could find their whereabouts, and so Carter never saw any photos either. Carter's parents homeschooled their young daughter, so that she wasn't required to go to school. One of the things she was allowed was books, and she loved them because it was as if she could live in a book and be and do what she wanted.

As Carter walked back to the Common Room, she wondered how different her life would during the school holidays would be, had she have gone to see Narcissa or Draco Malfoy. Obviously her relationship with Scorpius would be different, and she would presumably go home for the holidays, and probably not stay with the Weasleys, but it never happened. She eventually got to the Common Room and found her three best friends talking to a fireplace, she heard the fireplace speak, and then she realized that they were on a floo call. Al turned around to go and grab something and turned to go and grab something and found Carter, he went up and hugged her, the other two saw the commotion and joined in on the hug. They went to ask her what had happened by she just said no, and went to the dormitory and continued to look at the photo album. The other three found it quite strange but decided to ask Carter tomorrow.

Rose came up and saw her but she didn't try to talk to Carter. Eventually Carter went to sleep, but just before she did, she thought that the Sorting Hat was right 'Although, you may hide some things, your secrets may not became so private whether you like it or not.' Scorpius, Rose and Albus tried to get whay had happened out of her for the next month, and nothing worked, eventually they dropped the subject, but they didn't forget.

**Author's Note: Review Please? What did you think of this chapter? I'll, add a new chapter quicker this time I promise! Going through a mass of written chapters, also have some new stories with pasic plotlines ready to be drafted for you guys. I would love to thank you for reading, and I'll go and write some more for you.**


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